Sunday, January 26, 2014

Chapter: 1 -First Reader-

Near the end of chapter 1, there is a section, titled “Are
we less healthy than our ancestors?” (EMH, 52) Throughout reading the first
chapter, I found myself asking the same question almost every other page. “Maybe so and then again, maybe not’ is probably
the most reasonable answer to the question.” (EMH, 52) so says the textbook, in
response to the question. For a college textbook, hasty conclusions should
definitely be avoided, and EMH gives a proper response to support why “Maybe so
and then again, maybe not” is a good answer, but, as an opinionated individual
on the internet, I want to give a more definitive answer to the question, “Are
we less physically healthy than our ancestors?”

We, defined as modern people living in Western Civilization,
are less healthy, on average, than our hunting and gathering ancestors. My personal
definition of good physical health is a state in which a being can perform
physical labors that are within the realm of reason for something of their
species. For instance, a horse in good physical health can gallop and we have
no reason to believe a horse that cannot gallop is in good health. I believe
this to be a correct definition of good physical health because it necessitates
physical strength and endurance, while barring unreasonable labors in a case by
case matter for each species of animal.

According to our textbook, modern-day foraging people must
perform “high levels of daily activity in search of food, water and temporary
sleeping sites.” (EMH, 3) therefore, they prove capable of performing physical
labors that are within the realm of reason for something of their species, such
as carrying supplies and moving to find food. Our ancestors were also foraging
people, and so their daily lives also consisted of similar activities of
contemporary foraging people, so they show they are also capable of such
physical labor.

People of Western Civilization do not often engage in
strenuous physical activity and a common side-effect is an inability to walk up
stairs without becoming out-of-breath. Because so many people are plagued by
this side-effect, we can assume that those of Western Civilization, on average,
cannot engage in more demanding physical labors that are within the realm of
reason for someone of their species, like the labors of our foraging ancestors.

Thus, our foraging ancestors were healthier than modern
people living in Western Civilization.